Moncton-class Orbital Weapon Platform
900 150 25 |buildtime = 92 |usest = 2 |hull = 4000 |armor = 4 |antimatter = 25 |experience = 30 |weapon1 = "Super" MAC |damage.weapon1 = 300 |desc = |cooldown.weapon1 = |squadrons = 1|provisions = 6|note = A defensive powerhouse, the Moncton's main gun makes short work of anyone who enters the killzone}}Category:UNSC structures The Moncton-class Orbital Weapons Platform (OWP), also called the Orbital Defense Platform (ODP) or simply SMAC is a tactical structure in service to the United Nations Space Command. It excels in defending worlds deemed to have high tactical value. Overview A symbol of UNSC defensive might, Orbital Weapon Platforms are equipped with gigantic "Super-MACs" that can destroy all but the largest Covenant ships in a matter of seconds. However, their cheaper Durasteel armor makes them vulnerable to direct attack. The Moncton class gains significant damage bonuses against small targets. History Introduced by at least 2550, the Moncton-class orbital weapon platform formed part of Earth's orbital defenses under the authority of Unified Ground Command by the UNSC Air Force. It was a key part of Earth's "Orbital Defense Grid," an ambitious plan that combined ground-based aerospace fighters, low-orbit satellites, and warship squadrons into a multi-layered integrated system. No human-built ship could survive a blow from its main gun, shields were overloaded with one hit, and even the largest Covenant ships could be destroyed with a single shot, if in the right place. The UNSC's fortress world of Reach was defended by 20 of these platforms, Camden by half a dozen, and by the end of the war, Earth had a dense grid of 300 OWP's. Weapons and Tactical Usage The OWP is armed with a single "Super" magnetic accelerator cannon. This gun boasts the greatest range of all in-game weaponry, surpassed only by the main guns of the Viery-class OWP, the Artemis-class battlecruiser, and the DOS-class supercruiser. It also maintains a high fire rate and immense damage, making short work of anything that gets within range. However, the OWP has no other defenses, not even Helix AA guns to protect against bombers, and it has little armor to rely on should the enemy get too close. It can, however, garrison a squadron of fighters for defense against strike-craft or bombers to add to its ship-killing power and attack enemies that are out of range. Compared to its much deadlier and newer cousin, the Viery-class, the Moncton uses only two tactical slots to the Viery's six, is built faster, and costs significantly less allowing for more to be placed in a planet's gravity well and making defenses a lot faster to set up in a hurry. However it has much less armor, its fire rate is halved(having a single cannon as opposed to two) cannot be boosted by a nearby Microwave Generator, it can only store a single squadron, and its weapon has significantly less range. These station's single greatest weakness is the DOS-class, which not only outranges them but can take the station out with a single shot from its main lance. At the beginning of the game, it is best to avoid using these structures. Although cheap compared to the Veiry, they are still costly. There are few real threats presented early on, and as such, they are considered quite overkill. But further into the game, it is recommended to build defensive lines around the front-line of any offensive engagements to ensure that UNSC controlled planets are not left unprotected when the fleet goes on the offensive. Make sure that these structures have fighter support or a small fleet with anti-strike craft units, like the Stalwart-class light frigate, otherwise enemy bombers will make short work of these stations. They should also have capable anti-capital ships available in the case that a DOS-class enters the fray. Gallery Credits External Links * https://www.halopedia.org/Moncton-class_orbital_weapon_platform * https://www.halopedia.org/Orbital_defense_platform See Also